PRAYING UNDER HIS REIGN
Matthew 6:10
What kingdom are you building today? What consumes us and all our energies? What do we love to brag about and find satisfaction in most? Our prayers reveal whether God’s kingdom is the priority of our lives. To pray “hallowed be Thy name,” expresses a desire to see God glorified. We know that He will never receive all the glory due His name until His kingdom becomes a reality both in us as individuals and in the world. Therefore, we pray “Thy kingdom come.”
The kingdom we are praying for is not one with castles, motes, knights in shining armor, and ladies in waiting. We are considering a spiritual kingdom that belongs exclusively and totally to God. We are praying that God’s royal power and authority be evident in His reign and rule in the hearts of His people who surrender and submit to Him. Our prayer is that we would see the full manifestation of His reign. We long for it because we see the destruction that is caused when little tyrants rule with their little scepters. These are the fiefdoms of imposters who suppose they were made to live as kings and queens ruling their own lives.
After hallowing God’s name, our first petition is the manifestation of God’s kingdom upon the earth. When God rules there is peace, prosperity, and holiness. We know that Jesus is the King of kings and those who follow Him seek His kingdom and His righteousness. It makes sense that we would pray for God’s reign and rule.
As we pray about situations and intercede for individuals, we ask God to bring everything under His reign; that every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. We pray for this in our lives and in the lives of those around us. For God to be enthroned in hearts means that someone or something must be dethroned. Those that know Jesus as Savior have surrendered to Him as Lord. A lot of people want a Jesus they can manage and command what to do. But praying under His reign helps put things in their proper place. If you want the Jesus of the Bible, you must surrender all to Him and His Kingship (John 14:15).
While the literal reign of Jesus is a future event, it is true that those saved by His grace are presently citizens of His kingdom (Phil. 3:20). When we become a citizen of a kingdom, we are expected to keep the laws of the King. We pray that His kingdom will be revealed gloriously in our lives and that everything will be brought under His dominion. As we long for the appearance of our King Jesus and the establishment of His reign upon the earth, let us pray for our lives to be under His reign through our daily pursuits and priorities.
Pastor Chris Thompson